NBA news: CJ McCollum admits new CBA ‘is not perfect’

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NBA news: CJ McCollum admits new CBA ‘is not perfect’

Julian Ojeda · ClutchPoints

Fri, Jul 25, 2025 ·

3 min read

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The post NBA news: CJ McCollum admits new CBA 'is not perfect' appeared first on ClutchPoints .

Washington Wizards guard CJ McCollum acknowledged that the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is flawed but emphasized the progress made in player compensation and league growth during a recent appearance on The Young Man and the Three podcast.

McCollum, 33, joined Denver Nuggets forward Cam Johnson , Detroit Pistons guard Duncan Robinson , and Boston Celtics forward Georges Niang on the podcast to discuss the state of the league. When asked about the new CBA, McCollum offered a candid assessment.

"The CBA is not perfect like, I've never gone on the record saying that, but everything is negotiation," McCollum said. "And I think we're at that point now where the pot is continuing to grow, guys are continuing to make more money and there's a lot of conversations about mid-level. There's a lot of conversations about the non-tax payer mid-level, there's a lot of conversations about the vet minimum, the max, and kind of where things are."

CJ McCollum highlights CBA gains but admits areas still need improvement

McCollum expanded on the deal's broader impact , highlighting both its improvements and remaining challenges.

"But from a statistical standpoint, we're heading in a really good direction – guys are making more money and the mid-level is not being neglected and the statistics show it," he said. "Although, there are some things that can be improved upon in the CBA. Obviously, we talk about the second apron, we talk about aggregating salaries, and there's a lot more player movement right now… people have talked about free agency and how there's changes."

He noted that increased parity across the league and active player movement have created a more dynamic environment, but reiterated the deal was not made to serve individual interests.

"This wasn't a 'my agenda' type of situation. We had a collective bargaining agreement to try to do what's best for the players and things were proposed and we had to have a conversation about it to kind of figure out what's best," McCollum said.

Player dialogue and union gains seen as vital to future CBA improvements

He emphasized the importance of ongoing dialogue among players to help shape future negotiations.

"All-in-all I think we're heading in a good direction… and the more dialogue we can have, the more conversation that we can have in terms of ways to grow the game, the more players can continue to voice their thoughts and opinions, more so amongst us as players so that we can go to the bargaining table and have those discussions, I think it'll be better," he added. "But I think the game has grown immensely from 2013 to 2025. Guys make more money, our licensing checks have increased and you look at the TV deal and look at some of things we've negotiated on behalf of the players through the union, including our 2K deal, like we're doing really well."

McCollum recently concluded his 12th NBA season, averaging 21.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 56 games with the New Orleans Pelicans . He was traded to Washington this offseason in a deal that sent Jordan Poole , Saddiq Bey , and the No. 40 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft—used to select Micah Peavy —to New Orleans .

CJ McCollum served as the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) President from 2021 until 2025. He was succeeded by Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet earlier this offseason.

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